Israel - Palestinian militants launch massive attack, 7 Oct 2023 #3

[Momoffourboys]

I do wish they wouldn't tell us about this until AFTER it happens. Maybe they have a method they think works, but boots on the ground is different in my mind. I want the soldiers going in to be safe and I want it to be a surprise.. ugh

They know. This isn’t news to Hamas or Sinwar.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel says it’s preparing Gaza ground attack (nbcnews.com)
4m ago / 5:54 PM PDT

Demonstrators descend on Israel's L.A. consulate to support Palestinians​

LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside Israel’s Consulate General today in support for the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

Despite a splinter group's attempt to block the nearby 405 freeway, which was thwarted by Los Angeles police, and a single confrontation with a pro-Israel protester, the event was peaceful overall, authorities said.

Demonstrators blocked busy Wilshire Boulevard, which runs from the sea to downtown and passes UCLA and the Westwood Federal Building, for hours this afternoon, but no arrests were reported.

Estee Chandler, a well-known actor who founded the L.A. chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, said it was important to note that Jewish Americans attended to support the Palestinian state and human rights for the people of Gaza.

“Dehumanization of Palestinians starts at the top from our government officials,” she said. “We need to remind people that Palestinians are human beings our brothers, our sisters, our cousins, our dentists, our friends, our teachers, our neighbors, and we have to love each other and take care of each other.”

Critics of Hamas say its level of violence may have discarded any notion of human civility.

“This is about humanity,” Chandler said. “This is about not letting the worst things that we’ve seen in history that we’ve learned about history happen again before our eyes with the support of our government and the use of our tax dollars.”

Well said.

 

[margarita25]

Israeli forensic teams describe signs of torture, abuse​

Multiple cases of rape and torture were found after forensic examination of the bodies.​

Military forensic teams in Israel have examined bodies of victims of last week's Hamas attack on communities around the Gaza Strip and found multiple signs of torture, rape, and other atrocities, officers said on Saturday.

Around 1,300 bodies have been brought to an army base in Ramla in central Israel where forensic checks to determine the identity of the dead and the circumstances of their death are carried out by specialist teams.

Around 90% of the military dead have been identified and teams are halfway through identifying civilians, said Rabbi Israel Weiss, former army chief rabbi, one of the officials overseeing the identification of the dead. He said many bodies showed signs of torture as well as rape.

more: Israeli forensic teams describe signs of torture, abuse

Additionally from the above link:

“"We've seen dismembered bodies with their arms and feet chopped off, people that were beheaded, a child that was beheaded," a reserve warrant officer identified only by her first name of Avigayil told reporters.”

[…]

"We do the identification with all the means that we have," said a military dentist, identified as Captain Maayan. "We see them in severe stages of abuse. We see gunshots and we see signs that are purely torture."

[…]

“Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, has denied accusations of abuse.”

[…]

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has compared Hamas to Islamic State, which gained worldwide notoriety for its campaign of public beheadings in countries like Syria and Iraq.”

 

[PommyMommy]

3min ago

Top Iranian diplomat meets with Hamas head Haniyeh in Qatar​

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has met in Doha with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, according to Iran’s state-run media.

A short video shows the two embracing as Amirabdollahian exits a car. No details about the meeting are released.

Iran has denied helping plan or knowing ahead of time about Hamas’s onslaught into southern Israel a week ago, in which the terror group slaughtered some 1,300 Israelis, most of them civilians. It has cheered the massacre as a victory.

Amirabdollahian is in Doha after visiting Lebanon, Syria and Iraq in recent days. He met in Beirut last week with Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah.

According to an Axios report Saturday, Amirabdollahian has warned Israel through the UN that Iran will intervene if Israel does not call off its looming ground incursion into Gaza.

 

[PommyMommy]

3:58 am

US confirms second aircraft carrier on way to ‘deter hostile action against Israel’​

[...]

The Eisenhower deployed from its homeport of Norfolk, Va., Friday. Having two carriers in the region can provide a host of options.

They can disperse and serve as primary command and control operations centers, to cover a wide swath of area. They can conduct information warfare. They can launch and recover E2-Hawkeye surveillance planes that provide early warnings on missile launches, conduct surveillance and manage the airspace.

Both ships carry F-18 fighter jets that could fly intercepts or strike targets. They also have significant capabilities for humanitarian work, including an onboard hospital with medics, surgeons and doctors, and they sail with helicopters that can be used to airlift critical supplies in or victims out.

 

[otto]

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel says it’s preparing Gaza ground attack (nbcnews.com)
4m ago / 5:45 PM PDT

At least 12 journalists killed in conflict, group says says​

At least 12 journalists have been killed in the conflict since Hamas attacked Israel and Israel launched strikes on Gaza, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Two others are missing, and eight were injured as of Saturday, the organization said in a statement.

Of the 12 confirmed dead, 10 are Palestinian and one is Israeli, according to the group, known as CPJ. A Beirut-based journalist was killed in Lebanon on Friday in shelling by Israel.

Reuters has previously said that video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed while providing a live signal to broadcasters. Abdallah was killed in Lebanon close to the Israeli border where Hezbollah militants and Israel's military had been trading fire, Reuters reported.

Israel said it would investigate, the news agency reported.

"Journalists are making great sacrifices across the region covering this important conflict. Measures to ensure their safety must be taken by all parties to stop this deadly and heavy toll," Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said in the statement.

What were they thinking? The journalists were broadcasting a live feed of Israeli activity during hostile bombings at the Israeli border. That is an obvious threat to the Israelis. Was this the journalists first time in a war zone?

 

[PommyMommy]

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises (cnn.com)
18 min ago

Gaza residents share their stories as they brace for the next stage of the war​

Gaza residents spoke to CNN Saturday following Israel’s military announcement it is preparing for the "next stages of the war" against Hamas.

Hind al-Khoudari, 28, a Philippine national from Gaza, told CNN she was stranded at the Rafah crossing to Egypt with her family all day and had to pull back to central Gaza because the crossing is closed.

Khoudari said she arrived at the crossing Saturday morning with her husband and his family in order to leave the Gaza Strip. They encountered more than 20 families with passports from various countries.

After waiting for hours, they were told they will not be able to leave Gaza today, because the Egyptian authorities want the crossing to serve “a humanitarian cause and not only evacuation for foreigners.” Egyptians told her in-laws to stay close to the area of Rafah crossing and be ready for a phone call to leave at any minute.

Read more on the situation at Rafah crossing here.

 

[otto]

Israeli forensic teams describe signs of torture, abuse​

Multiple cases of rape and torture were found after forensic examination of the bodies.​

Military forensic teams in Israel have examined bodies of victims of last week's Hamas attack on communities around the Gaza Strip and found multiple signs of torture, rape, and other atrocities, officers said on Saturday.

Around 1,300 bodies have been brought to an army base in Ramla in central Israel where forensic checks to determine the identity of the dead and the circumstances of their death are carried out by specialist teams.

Around 90% of the military dead have been identified and teams are halfway through identifying civilians, said Rabbi Israel Weiss, former army chief rabbi, one of the officials overseeing the identification of the dead. He said many bodies showed signs of torture as well as rape.

more: Israeli forensic teams describe signs of torture, abuse

Sounds like DNA has been collected, making it easier to identify the Hamas barbarians who murdered so many.

 

[Cryptic]

Are ground operations (such as this) best done in darkness or daylight??

In the olde day, they were usually started in the day time as complex attacks in darkness by large numbers of soldiers inevitably led to friendly fire deaths, confusion in identifying "jump off" spots and attack objectives.

But.... with mega high tech night vision, precision GPS, ultra reliable communications, etc etc, it could well come at night.

As a side note, the US started the Second Battle of Fallujah at night with a whimper, not a bang . Marines were ordered to leave noisy tracked vehicles behind, converge on the city center from many directions using wheeled transporters with quiet engines.

Likewise, the Marines were ordered not to shoot at, or even back at, insurgents unless it was absolutely needed to save lives.

The goal was to get through and past insurgent lines before they knew what was happening. The insurgents would then be attacked from behind, from the side etc.

 

[Momoffourboys]

Sounds like DNA has been collected, making it easier to identify the Hamas barbarians who murdered so many.

Families have been submitting DNA samples all week. Many of the victims were beyond recognition.

 

[Brightchaser47]

In the olde day, they were usually started in the day time as complex attacks in darkness by large numbers of soldiers inevitably led to friendly fire deaths, confusion in identifying "jump off" spots and attack objectives.

But.... with mega high tech night vision, precision GPS, ultra reliable communications, etc etc, it could well come at night.

As a side note, the US started the Second Battle of Fallujah at night with a whimper, not a bang . Marines were ordered to leave noisy tracked vehicles behind, converge on the city center from many directions. Likewise, Marines were ordered not to shoot at, or even back at, insurgents unless it was absolutely needed to save lives.

The goal was to get through and past insurgent lines before they knew what was happening. The insurgents would then be attacked from behind, from the side etc.

I think "stealth" will be the best approach here, as well...

 

[Momoffourboys]

Israel Defense Forces

@IDF
·
2m

Hamas has shown the world time and time again what they are capable of. Now the IDF is prepared to counter with an even greater force. There is no place in the world for terrorism.

video at link

https://x.com/IDF/status/1713362078604382696?s=20

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel Defense Forces
@IDF
·
2m

Hamas has shown the world time and time again what they are capable of. Now the IDF is prepared to counter with an even greater force. There is no place in the world for terrorism.

video at link

https://x.com/IDF/status/1713362078604382696?s=20

Jumping off your post @Momoffourboys to say that for anyone who can't view the videos on twitter/X, Israel Defense Forces has a YouTube channel. This particular video hasn't been posted there yet but there are plenty more to watch.

Israel Defense Forces - YouTube

 

[otto]

Families have been submitting DNA samples all week. Many of the victims were beyond recognition.

Yes, but rape means there is DNA of the suspects who committed the rapes - which connects them to the murders. Hamas is going to claim that dead Hamas terrorists are innocent civilians, but they left DNA behind.

"Military forensic teams in Israel have examined bodies of victims of last week's Hamas attack on communities around the Gaza Strip and found multiple signs of torture, rape, and other atrocities, officers said on Saturday.
...

She said multiple cases of rape were found by forensic examination of the bodies, which have been stored in refrigerated containers."

Israeli forensic teams describe signs of torture, abuse

Multiple cases of rape and torture were found after forensic examination of the bodies.

www.jpost.com

 

[fred&edna]

In the olde day, they were usually started in the day time as complex attacks in darkness by large numbers of soldiers inevitably led to friendly fire deaths, confusion in identifying "jump off" spots and attack objectives.

But.... with mega high tech night vision, precision GPS, ultra reliable communications, etc etc, it could well come at night.

As a side note, the US started the Second Battle of Fallujah at night with a whimper, not a bang . Marines were ordered to leave noisy tracked vehicles behind, converge on the city center from many directions. Likewise, Marines were ordered not to shoot at, or even back at, insurgents unless it was absolutely needed to save lives.

The goal was to get through and past insurgent lines before they knew what was happening. The insurgents would then be attacked from behind, from the side etc.

Thank you for the insight!

I was recently listening to Agenda Free and Steve was reading from a NY Times article about what ground forces could be facing when attempting their operations into Gaza... it sounded very foreboding particularly with Hamas fighters use of the tunnels (striking them ahead and from behind). This may play a part in any day/night decisions, too?

ETA: Or it's possible the NYT writers are wrong.... I have no idea about many news sources and credibility.

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel says it’s preparing Gaza ground attack (nbcnews.com)
9m ago / 6:22 PM PDT

Agreement to allow Americans out of Gaza through Rafah gate remains elusive​

The tentative agreement to allow Americans safe passage through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt from Gaza continues to face significant obstacles to implementation, U.S. officials say.

The issue will be a key item on Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s agenda when he lands in Cairo tomorrow, they said.

Earlier discussions with Egypt by the U.S., Qatar and Israel focused on a five-hour window during which U.S. citizens could pass through the Rafah crossing today, but the deadline came and went without any immediate sign of success.

A U.S. official said that although the original window has passed, the parties continue to negotiate and obstacles remain.

There’s still no guarantee that Hamas, which controls the Gaza side of the border and which has told residents not to evacuate, will allow for safe passage, three U.S. officials cautioned. A fourth source with knowledge of the situation pointed to another issue — Egypt’s outstanding concerns over aid guarantees tied to any opening of the border. Even if Egypt’s demands are met, Hamas remains a critical piece of the equation.

Even so, the State Department continues to publicly urge the 500 to 600 Americans estimated to be in Gaza to move south, cautioning that if the crossing opens, the window could be brief.
With a ground invasion of Gaza believed to be imminent, securing safe passage for Americans through the Rafah crossing remains an administration priority, according to multiple sources.

Blinken is expected to make remarks from the tarmac in Cairo at 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday.

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel Gaza live news: Israel says military preparing to attack Gaza by 'air, sea and land' - BBC News
Posted at 18:1718:17

Worry in UK as Israel-Gaza anxiety spreads​

The Israel-Gaza war is reverberating around the world. In Manchester - a diverse city with large Jewish and Muslim populations - people are anxious about what it could mean for their communities.

As well as the profound sense of connection that comes with shared history and trauma, a relatively small global community of 16 million Jews means that many in the UK know people in Israel.

"We believe that every single Jew shares a bit of the same soul," said Eli Dresner on Wednesday at a vigil in Manchester. "We're all family, we all come from the same place. Even if I don't know them, if I see another Jew, they are family.

"I've got family in Israel who have all been called up to serve, and almost everyone here will know someone who is stuck," he adds.

Read more here.

 

[margarita25]

Rsbm / BBM:

According to an Axios report Saturday, Amirabdollahian has warned Israel through the UN that Iran will intervene if Israel does not call off its looming ground incursion into Gaza.

This is what I’m trying to figure out, process, how and what exactly they mean by “intervene.” What does this look like. In what form, by what “tactical” means…

The terms “far-reaching consequences” and “earthquake” were used.

I’m afraid they’re hinting at missiles.

 

[otto]

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel says it’s preparing Gaza ground attack (nbcnews.com)
9m ago / 6:22 PM PDT

Agreement to allow Americans out of Gaza through Rafah gate remains elusive​

The tentative agreement to allow Americans safe passage through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt from Gaza continues to face significant obstacles to implementation, U.S. officials say.

The issue will be a key item on Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s agenda when he lands in Cairo tomorrow, they said.

Earlier discussions with Egypt by the U.S., Qatar and Israel focused on a five-hour window during which U.S. citizens could pass through the Rafah crossing today, but the deadline came and went without any immediate sign of success.

A U.S. official said that although the original window has passed, the parties continue to negotiate and obstacles remain.

There’s still no guarantee that Hamas, which controls the Gaza side of the border and which has told residents not to evacuate, will allow for safe passage, three U.S. officials cautioned. A fourth source with knowledge of the situation pointed to another issue — Egypt’s outstanding concerns over aid guarantees tied to any opening of the border. Even if Egypt’s demands are met, Hamas remains a critical piece of the equation.

Even so, the State Department continues to publicly urge the 500 to 600 Americans estimated to be in Gaza to move south, cautioning that if the crossing opens, the window could be brief.
With a ground invasion of Gaza believed to be imminent, securing safe passage for Americans through the Rafah crossing remains an administration priority, according to multiple sources.

Blinken is expected to make remarks from the tarmac in Cairo at 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday.

There is also the matter of people from the USA who are held as hostages by the terrorists. The surrounding Arabic counties, and others, want aid delivered to the people in the Gaza siege.

Aid is available to the families of Hamas terrorists, but there are more than 100 hostages that need to be released first. Stopping the siege and giving Hamas what they want will not help the hostages. Even if they are dead, their bodies need to be released before families and friends of Hamas terrorists receive aid, or safe travel to another country.

 

[justtrish]

In the olde day, they were usually started in the day time as complex attacks in darkness by large numbers of soldiers inevitably led to friendly fire deaths, confusion in identifying "jump off" spots and attack objectives.

But.... with mega high tech night vision, precision GPS, ultra reliable communications, etc etc, it could well come at night.

As a side note, the US started the Second Battle of Fallujah at night with a whimper, not a bang . Marines were ordered to leave noisy tracked vehicles behind, converge on the city center from many directions using wheeled transporters with quiet engines.

Likewise, the Marines were ordered not to shoot at, or even back at, insurgents unless it was absolutely needed to save lives.

The goal was to get through and past insurgent lines before they knew what was happening. The insurgents would then be attacked from behind, from the side etc.

Incredible the tactics that can be used on a predictable enemy. There is only so many places they can be and I'm confident that surveillance has been done since the attack was known.